The Black Hills and World War Two

World War II is one of modern history’s most devastating conflicts, and its impacts were felt globally. Even in the landlocked region of the Black Hills, the effects of the war can still be seen across the landscape. South Dakota, although far away from combat, played its part in the war effort.

The Black Hills of South Dakota hosted Prisoner of War (POW) camps that held German soldiers: these soldiers worked local sugar beet fields in the absence of the male manual labor force. The 4th Cavalry at Fort Meade was mobilized as a M5 Light Tank Unit deployed to England and later to the beaches of Normandy. There were two airports dedicated to aircraft used in the war: Ellsworth Air Force Base (formerly Rapid City Air Base) trained B-17 Flying Fortress Crews, and Clyde Ice Field, in Spearfish, trained 2000 pilots who flew overseas in the war.

The Badlands Bombing Range was used as a bomb testing site, and part of that area still has unexploded ordinance to this day. The Black Hills Ordnance Depot, at Igloo, stored ammunition of both conventional explosives and chemical weapons to be shipped across the country. Near Sturgis, glider pilots were trained as defense for the skies. Even Black Hills State University (BHSU; known as Black Hills Normal School at the time) and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSMT) aided in the war efforts. And finally, the soldiers and families of those who gave their lives to Word War II have forever been memorialized at Black Hills National Cemetery.

The map below shows the location of each referenced place. Note that Black Hills Normal School is now Black Hills State University and Orman Dam is known as Belle Fourche Dam.

[1] Gevick, Brian. “Building the Belle Fourche (Orman) Dam - 1903-1907: SDPB Blog Home.” SDPB, 25 Mar. 2015, http://www.sdpb.org/blogs/images-of-the-past/building-orman-dam-1907/.

[2] Champion, Evette. “German Tourists Visit the WWII PoW Camp at Belle Fourche, South Dakota.” WAR HISTORY ONLINE, 11 Nov. 2013, https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/belle_fourche_pow_cam.html.

[3] Dailey, Milo, and Butte County Post. “Germans Visit WWII POW Camp in Belle Fourche.” Rapid City Journal Media Group, 1 Nov. 2013,  https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/germans-visit-wwii-pow-camp-in-belle-fourche/article_87c4cd6a-2a35-5b2a-af99-d3f9b7c9d575.html .

 [4] Lips, Jesse. “Follow Up Interviews with Former German POWs Held in America.” Airport Journals, 9 Aug. 2014,  http://airportjournals.com/as-farm-boys-fought-in-europe-german-pows-did-the-work-they-left-behind/ .

[5] W.F Craven and J.L. Crate, “The Army Air Forces in World War II,” The Army Air Forces in World War II Volume VI: Men and Planes: Chapter 17, HyperWar Foundation.

 [6] Bruce Ashcroft, We Wanted Wings: A History of the Aviation Cadet Program, HQ AETC Office of History and Research, 2005.

[7] Patricia Overman, “An American College Goes to War: The Achievements of the 95th College Training Detachment March 1943 - March 1944.” WWII Quarterly (Winter 2013), https://www.ww2gp.org/CTD.php.

[8] Kaija Swisher “Remembering BH Teachers College’s role in WWII aviation training,” Black Hills Pioneer, March 31, 2018, bhpioneer.com.

[9] Fort Meade (1).” Fort Meade (1) - FortWiki Historic U.S. and Canadian Forts,  http://www.fortwiki.com/Fort_Meade_(1) .

 [10] Johnson, Christy, and Fourth Cavalry. “Fort Meade 1924-1942: The Fourth Cavalry.” CORE, 1 Jan. 1970,  http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download;jsessionid=CCCB5E0704A3BE0759E3063B6188AFF8?doi=10.1.1.424.5956&rep=rep1&type=pdf 

 [11] “Old Fort Meade Museum.” Old Fort Meade Museum | Black Hills & Badlands - South Dakota, https://www.blackhillsbadlands.com/business/old-fort-meade-museum.

[12] “Black Hills Airport.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 July 2017,

[13] Aviation Firsts - South Dakota, Minnesota Department of Transportation, http://www.dot.state.mn.us/aero/aviationeducation/museum/aviation_firsts/southdakota.html.

[14] “SOUTH DAKOTA HALL OF FAME South DakotaHall of Fame.” Clyde Ice 1979 - SDHoF, http://sdexcellence.org/Clyde_Ice_1979.

[15] “South Dakota World War II Army Airfields.” Military Wiki, https://military.wikia.org/wiki/South_Dakota_World_War_II_Army_Airfields.

[16] “TheMilitaryStandard - Air Force Bases.” Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota,  http://www.themilitarystandard.com/afb/sd/ellsworth.php .

[17] "Black Hills National Cemetery." The National Cemetery Administration, US Department of Veteran's Affairs, 24 Apr. 2019,  https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/blackhills.asp .

[18] Kirk, Kelly. Walking Tour of Black Hills National Cemetery, Professor of South Dakota History, Black Hills State University,

[19] Tupper, Seth. "Area of former Badlands Bombing Range Could Remain Off-Limits." The Rapid City Journal, 10 Feb 2019,  https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/area-of-former-badlands-bombing-range-could-remain-off-limits/article_71ebe406-508a-52c3-8fc4-b6f836379630 ,

[20] "World War Two Comes to the Badlands- Badlands Bombing Range." Badlands National Park Division of Resource Education, National Parks Service, US Department of the Interior  https://www.nps.gov/badl/planyourvisit/upload/Badlands-Gunnery-Range-Bulletin.pdf ,.

[21] "Black Hills Ordnance Depot- Igloo, SD." The Cold War Tourist, 2011,  http://coldwartourist.com/black_hills_ordnance_depot .

[22] "School Boy Gives Igloo Its Name in Contest Held Eight Years Ago". The Walrus, Volume 1, No 18. May 5th, 1952.  http://bhodian.com/iglooname.html 

[23] Zimny, Michael. "Igloo, South Dakota: The Utopia the War Built", South Dakota Public Broadcasting, 25 July 2018,  http://www.sdpb.org/blogs/arts-and-culture/igloo-south-dakota-the-utopia-that-war-built/ .

Title: Fassbender Collection

Orman Dam:

1.    Overlay Map- (Fassbender Collection) Bureau of Land Reclamation

2.    Curt Nickisch. “As Farm Boys Fought in Europe, German POWs Did the Work They Left Behind.” Airport Journals. August 27th 2014. Accessed on November 23, 2019. airportjournals.com/luftwaffe-prisoners-grandchildren-visit-pow-camp/

3.    Curt Nickisch. “As Farm Boys Fought in Europe, German POWs Did the Work They Left Behind.” Airport Journals. August 27th 2014. Accessed on November 23, 2019. airportjournals.com/luftwaffe-prisoners-grandchildren-visit-pow-camp/

4.    Photographer Unknown. “Dresden, zerstörtes Stadtzentrum”. German Federal Archives. 1945. Accessed on November 23, 2019. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-1994-041-07,_Dresden,_zerst%C3%B6rtes_Stadtzentrum.jpg

Black Hills Teacher College:

1.    Fassbender Collection. Date unknown.

2.    Fassbender Collection. Date unknown.

3.    Fassbender Collection. Date unknown.

4.    Fassbender Collection. Date unknown.

5.    Fassbender Collection. Date unknown.

Fort Meade:

1.    Joshua Adkins. “POW Stencil”. Located at the Fort Meade Calvary Museum. 2019.

2.    Bandholtz, F. J . 4th U.S. Cavalry at Fort Meade, South Dakota. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. July 17th, 1909. Accessed on November 23, 2019. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4th_Cavalry_Regiment_(United_States)#/media/File:4th_US_Cavalry_1909.jpg

3.    R.P.Hunnicutt. Late production “M5A1 light tank”. Stuart. A history of the American Light Tank. 1992. Accessed on November 23, 2019. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:M5A1_late.JPG.

4.    Joshua Adkins. “Fort Meade Calvary Museum”. Sturgis, South Dakota. 2019.

5.    Fassbender Collection. Date unknown.

Clyde Ice Field:

1.    Fassbender Collection. Date unknown.

2.    Fassbender Collection. Date unknown.

3.    Fassbender Collection. Date unknown.

4.    Fassbender Collection. Date unknown.

Ellsworth Airforce Base:

1.    Boeing B17

2.    Marks and letters on the tails of bombers Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress in Europe in 1943-1945. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marks_and_letters_on_the_tails_of_B-17_during_WWII_in

3.    Staff Sgt. Marc I. Lane, U.S. Air Force. “An aerial view of the Dakota Thunder 2011 air show at Ellsworth Air Force Base.” S.D. June 4, 2011. Accessed on November 23, 2019. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aerial_view_of_Ellsworth_Air_Force_Base.JPG

SDMT Officer Training:

1.    Fassbender Collection

Black Hills National Cemetery:

1.     Haas, David W. “Vista Along the Avenue of flags” South Dakota; Meade County; Sturgis. US Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Current Location: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Photograph taken at Black Hills National Cemetery. 2006. Accessed on November 24, 2019.

2.     Haas, David W. “FRONT ELEVATION OF KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL, SECTION E. VIEW TO NORTHWEST”. Black Hills National Cemetery, 20901 Pleasant Valley Drive, Sturgis, Meade County, SD. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Depicted place South Dakota; Meade County; Sturgis. 2006. Current location: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Accessed on November 24, 2019. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FRONT_ELEVATION_OF_KOREAN_WAR_MEMORIAL,_SECTION_E._VIEW_TO_NORTHWEST._Black_Hills_National_Cemetery,_20901_Pleasant_Valley_Drive,_Sturgis,_Meade_County,_SD_HALS_SD-2-8.tif

3.     Photographer Unknown. “HISTORIC IMAGE- AERIAL VIEW WITH THE CEMETERY IN BACKGROUND”. September 1976. NCA HISTORY COLLECTION. - Black Hills National Cemetery, 20901 Pleasant Valley Drive, Sturgis, Meade County, SD Description U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HISTORIC_IMAGE-_AERIAL_VIEW_WITH_THE_CEMETERY_IN_BACKGROUND._PHOTOGRAPH_SEPTEMBER_1976._NCA_HISTORY_COLLECTION._-_Black_Hills_National_Cemetery,_20901_Pleasant_Valley_Drive,_Sturgis,_HALS_SD-2-21.tif

4.     Haas, David W. “OVERVIEW OF SECTION I. VIEW TO NORTH.” South Dakota; Meade County; Sturgis. US Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Current Location: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Photograph taken at Black Hills National Cemetery. 2006. Accessed on November 24, 2019. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OVERVIEW_OF_SECTION_I._VIEW_TO_NORTH._-_Black_Hills_National_Cemetery,_20901_Pleasant_Valley_Drive,_Sturgis,_Meade_County,_SD_HALS_SD-2-18.tif

1. 5. Haas, David W. “INTERIOR OF COMMITTAL SHELTER WITH REAR WALL, FLOOR PATTERN, LAMINATED STRUCTURE, AND LIGHT WELLS. VIEW TO SOUTHWEST” South Dakota; Meade County; Sturgis. US Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Current Location: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Photograph taken at Black Hills National Cemetery. 2006. Accessed on November 24, 2019. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:INTERIOR_OF_COMMITTAL_SHELTER_WITH_REAR_WALL,_FLOOR_PATTERN,_LAMINATED_STRUCTURE,_AND_LIGHT_WELLS._VIEW_TO_SOUTHWEST._-_Black_Hills_National_Cemetery,_20901_Pleasant_Valley_Drive,_Sturgis_HALS_SD-2-

Black Hills Ordnance Depot:

1.    Captain S. M. Wondrasek, Depot Chemical Officer. “Black Hills Ordnance Depot's Chemical Branch performing the chambering operation on the forward inside edge of burster well tube and installing lead gasketed plug on M-70, H-filled bombs.” BHODian. Jim Anderson. July 4, 1952. Accessed on November 26, 2019.  http://bhodian.com/chemical.html 

2.    Photographer unknown, “Ariel Image of Igloo”. Curated by Jim Anderson. The BHODian. Date Unknown. Accessed on November 25, 2019.  http://bhodian.com/layout.html .

3.    Darlosit. A munitions storage building, or "igloo", as found at Black Hills Ordnance Depot. May 2018. Accessed on November 25, 2019. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BHODIgloo.JPG

4.    Greg Corr. “Millie Posing by a Truck”. The BHODian. Curated by Jim Anderson. Date unknown. Accessed on November 25, 2019.  http://bhodian.com/milliehardman.html 

5.    Photographer Unknown. “Boxing”. The BHODian. June 26, 1953. Accessed on November 25, 2019. http://bhodian.com/boxing.html

6.    Lenior Pederson. “Welcome”. The BHODian. Curated by Jim Anderson. Date unknown. Accessed on November 25, 2019.  http://bhodian.com/welcome.html 

7.    Ethel Moran Peck. Paul C. Meyer. Poems: “Igloo” and “My Wings of Silver”. Published in the BHODian. 1944. Curated by Jim Anderson. Accessed on November 25, 2019.  http://bhodian.com/BHODian.html 

Fassbender Collection:

1.    “Swarm Days Parade”

2.    “The Black Hills in World War Two”

3.    “Swarm Days Flyover”

4.    “A Simple Wedding”